Ruddy brown color with some off white, creamy head that lasted for a while but left little lacing. Didn't really know what to expect from this style, though.

Smell is mostly sweet malt with some smokiness from the chipotle (smoke-dried jalapenos). Taste is malty up front, kind of sweet with a very unique sweet malt taste. The only action I am getting from the chiles is smoke right now.

Now i start to get the chile parts of the beer--a little burning in the back of the throat from the jalapenos, very balanced though--amazingly drinkable. Very good overall. I don't know how old this is or how age has affected it, but very good and very subtle with the chile--expertly done. (721 characters)

I wasn't that enthusiastic about the beer going in, so I was pleasently surprised when I got to it. First off, it's a lovely color, a nice transparent reddish hue. The smell is a nice, light sharp scent, not unlike a decent pale ale. The taste starts out not unlike a good pale ale, but with a delightfully complex background. It's nowhere near as hoppy as some of Rogue's other brews, and you don't notice the peppers so much in the flavor.

Where you do notice the peppers is an odd spot in the back of your throat that seems to warm as you drink the beer. It's a curious feeling, and absolutely wonderful. A truly unique brew. (631 characters)

got a bomber of this, super great. this is one of the more interesting beers ive had. great unfiltered orange appearance with a nice white head. the smell is great, really unique. not much of hops, a bit of sweet carmel malts, but loaded with bbq, hickory smokiness which is just really unique and interesting, in a good way. the smokiness is definltey stronger in the nose than the mouth, the taste is much spicer and accute than the smell that is less pin pointed. less smokey, much more chile, chiptole, jalepenos. tickles the palate on the way out. everything i wanted in this beer in regards to taste. tons of notes reminding me of bbqs, hickory chips, and tons of hot peppers. the drinkability isnt too high, in regards to quantity. but for quality i think it really is highly drinkable and enjoyable. really, really happy with this. another great beer from rogue. (870 characters)

I'm trying to figure out if this version of the beer has changed much, if at all, from prior years because it was a lot better than I remember. The appearance of the poor was a dark amber hue with a light head. The smell was smokey with a little bit of pepper mixed in with the hops and malt smells. The taste and mouthfeel are what I love the most about the beer. The taste is deeply smokey with just a little bit of spice on the back of the throat. It makes the beer an easy pairing with Spanish and Indian food. The mouthfeel as well coats your cheeks so that there's a light tingle from the spice. Overall was very nice and for the price I found it at (7.99) not a bad buy. (677 characters)

always a fan of chili beers i was thrilled when i saw this one pop up on our shelves. poured into a pint glass.

nice dark amber pour, bordering on a light brown with a smooth, even and small head that did its best to not really fade that much at all. aroma is lots of earth grains, light hops and a touch of rye like spice, not much pepper at all in the aroma, this comes much later. as you take a sip it has all the marks of a nicely done esb or amber, but gives you that nice kick of chili pepper in the finish that lets you know its there. spicy with a definite nice hit, this was very well recieved.

overall done very nice as the chili is reserved for the finish where it should be, overall an excellent beer i have to say. (729 characters)

Presentation:650mL bomber poured into a tulip glass to really capture those peppery aromas. No dates on the bottle.

Visual:The body is a delicious ruby orange and clear as a crystal. It agitates well into a nice thick khaki head. Decent retention and some beautiful lacing. I'd give this a 5 if only the head stuck around a little longer.

Aroma:Well balanced. Great earthy platform from the Willamette hops, along with a bready malt profile bragging of caramel sweet undertones. I won't lie, there is a hint of rubber band somewhere in the back, but it is not unpleasant - just unexpected. Soft pepper notes up front like pepperoni that fade into the unique chipotle twinge in the finish.

Taste:The hops create a pleasant bittering that cleans the palate for the peppers to follow. Well done Rogue, that's planning ahead. Hearty malt profile that is subtle yet present; again, not stealing the show from the peppers, but making sure everything stays balanced. Medium bodied with a grainy mouthfeel, perfect for rustling those flavors up. Nice soft bittering aftertaste with a hint of spiciness.

Overall:Job well done. I had a cajun pepper ale a while back that was way out of whack. It seemed that they made an ale, and just added peppers without thinking of how the two blend. Rogue, on the other hand, seemed to put a lot of thought into the final product with this brew. The level of intensity for each ingredient is balanced well with the others.I could see this brew pairing well with chipotle based foods, but I would personally recommend not going that route. I would say, embrace this ales complexity with some nice pulled pork or rotisserie chicken. Think subtly sweet, like cornbread or bbq. This ale would be perfect for cooking southern recipes with.

Side note: I would let this brew sit out of your fridge for about 15-20 minutes before serving it. I had a glassful while it was cold, straight out of the fridge and it was okay. Once a half hour went by (with the bottle sitting in room temperature) and I had the second glass, the malt really shined. This immensely helps bring out those rich chipotle features.

This lightly spicy, heavily smoky beer makes a unique session brew. With not too much spiciness it is suprisingly drinkable, rather than a novelty, and the smoky chipotles give it enough of a unique kick to keep it interesting all night. There is a certain medicinal quality to the smoky flavor that is noticable in the odor and taste, and it is a little too overpowering to make this a perfect beer. (400 characters)

22-ounce bottle poured into a tulip yields a cherry-amber body capped with a finger of loose, mottled off-white foam that recedes to a ring and leaves swatches of lacing on the glass.

Smell is sweet and toasty-malty with a bit of hot sauce.

Taste is malty and sweetly toasty with a bit of citrus and a nice kick of hot pepper. I bought this beer specifically to drink along with a snack of some rustic multigrain bread, olives, dried Italian salami and a crumbly sheep/goat's milk cheese, and it turned out plenty big to work along with the potent salty/spicy/sour flavors and oily textures in the gnosh. The beer is extremely reminiscent of the Rogue in-your-face pale ale style, which in my mind almost always comprises a consistent malty base with odd experimental flavors defiant of convention that, in reality, seldom overpower the solid base of the drink and fit in just fine. There's a chocolatey bit of caramel in the drink as it warms.

Creamy and soft with great drinkability. Devilishly smooth, warm, and satisfying. (1,029 characters)

Pours an almost pinkish golden amber and topped with a pock marked virgin paper white head. Leaves a cap but like none lacing.

I'm thinking Rouge did right on this chile beer, or at least a chipotle beer, it's really a wonderfully balanced aroma of spicy peppers and the smoke that surrounds them. A nice, understated malty sweetness manages to shine through as well and suprisingly some slightly grapefruity hops.

Damn I think I like this, if I had some pepper jack cheese right now I might be in heaven. What I like about this beer is that its more than just chile, it's smokey, slightly sweet, chewy, creamy cheese (that's more texture than taste but really there seems to be a bit of cheese in this beer which I am really digging right now) the finish is slightly fruity, with a slight grapefruity bitterness lingering on the tongue working its way through a substantial smokey spiciness.

I'm getting a little heartburn from an entire bomber of this stuff. One is good enough but damn if this is not one fine chile beer. (1,027 characters)

seems the bros. are more on spot than the collective this time around!

being a chile-head and loving lindts chocolate with chile, all manner of hot sauces, growing peppers, etc etc, had to try this. appearance is as expected, amber ale, with nice off-white head that settles with light lacing. looks premium. as are most rogue ales...

initial smell is the chipotle smokiness! actually almost that sense of toastiness in stouts or some porters. though i love the rich, deep notes of this, it does mask the malts and other aspects i know are lurking. maybe they saved themselves for taste.

same smokiness enters but opens up a bit, fades slowly leaving a slow finishing abiding in maltiness. very nice. not as slow, but about as impressive as the one bobby flay dish i had at his mesa grill with regards to layered heat/smokiness over time. very artful here for sure. actually a sense of 'beef jerky' but subtle and not in any corny way. vegans, don't despair! i would give it a 5 if only my tastebuds starting to burn a bit...

Finally grabbed a bottle after a buddy at work told me its a must have!

- Nice ever so slightly cloudy amber ale color with a nice eggshell head and a slew of lacing. Copper....

- Smells much like their fantastic amber ale but with a bit of sweetness and fresh hop goodness... but not much in the area of peppers.

- Great flavor going down... and what is left behind is an amazing flavor of true chipotle peppers.... not just a spice or a burn... but a complex flavor that is just spot on for a risky style.... plus there is a nice sneaker of spice.... super quality.

- Slight spice, and great hops leave the mouth watering for more...

- What a fantastic ale from Rogue.. one of my new favorites from them and one I hope they continue to brew. It goes down well and is very unique and great for even those that dont like spicy stuff. (838 characters)

Real nice nearly crystal clear body and a wonderful just magic copper orange red color. Not much noticeable rising carbonation, but a nice fluffy head, three to four fingers deep forming real nicely, with a slight yellow hue to it.

Nose is great roasted pepper, char and slight burnt with airy crispness. It reminds of diving into a bowl of salsa. Hints of smoke whaff out of this almost like a rauchbier. Great smelling brew.

Palate hits the right notes. It's not wham hard, but a real nice subtle char and smoked pepper. Malt sweetness finishes the brew on the aftertaste, rounding out the flavors of pepper to meld nicely on the tongue. Mouthfeel has just the right amount of richness to bring everything forward, nothing thick or wet, just about simple and right.

OVerall great example of a chile and pepper action in a brew, I will have this again when in the mood. (922 characters)

Now I love spicy foods, and I love beer, but I came into this one a little hesitant. Chiles in my beer? Anyhow, I needed something to drink on Cinco de Mayo that's not another adjunct lager, so decided this was as good a time as any to pick this up. This one pours a slightly hazy lighter red-orange color, and is crested with a nice two fingers of head. The head laces very well. The smell on this ... fingers crossed ... is nice! An upfront smokiness blends with some nice slightly sweet maltiness. A little bit of spice gets stick in the nose. The taste is very good. It goes down easily at first, with some nice smokiness over the malt base, then the chipotles make their presence known at the end with just the right amount of heat.

The mouthfeel is great, it's the perfect thickness to let the chilis make themselves known, without being too thick for the fairly easiygoing intro. The only thing I can knock this on is the drinkability. It drinks quite easily at first, but the last eight or so ounces do begin to drag. 12oz bottles would be perfect here. Either way it'd be a one and done though. A surprisingly good and unique ale here I really enjoyed. Give it a try. (1,219 characters)

Poured from a bomber with no discernible date stamp into a generic goblet. I should mention that I am a big fan of spicy food, so my palate's tolerance for chile heat is somewhat higher than your average Joe's is.

A. Well, according to Rogue's website this is supposed to be a modified golden ale but that is NOT what I am seeing. This is coppery-brown in color, so color me confused. Very nicely opaque without being overly murky. I get about one finger's worth of a light spritzy head that dies down without any lacing at all. Despite the brewery's confusing color claims, I do in fact like how this brew looks quite a lot.

S. The smoked chipotle peppers, predictably enough, hit me right away with an intense rauchbier aroma. Just afterward I get the smell of a really well made mole sauce sans the chicken stock smell. Substituting for the chicken stock component are the sweet malts and the delicate spicing of some floral hops that compliment the way that some of the milder chiles have floral notes behind their heat. Fantastic and it actually makes me briefly hungry for Mexican.

T. Sweet malt up front yields to the fruity qualities of a well stewed chipotle. The citric elements of the chiles are amplified and supported by the skeleton of the hops. Sadly, either my palate is too jaded to experience much heat beyond a mild lip-warming or this brew could use some more chiles in it. I'm not certain which it is, so I won't deduct too much score for it. Oh yes, mustn't forget to mention that the malt flavor profile rather resembles that of a Schlenkaria Marzen to me. If it weren't for the chiles, this brew would definitely have been classified as a Rauchbier. A really good one at that. The smokey finish lasts and lasts. Delightful.

This beer is my 2nd chile beer. My first was DFH Theobroma, which, while a great beer, is light on the chilies. Poured from 22oz bomber.

A- Nice caramel color with a decent head. Pours well.

S- Smoke, black pepper. Mild malts.

T- Tastes amazing. Smoky at first, good hop crispness. After the swallow, about 3 seconds later, the chilies make themselves known. T-A-S-T-Y! Wow! I love this beer. Amazing take on the smoked lager/chilie beer. This beer is perfectly spiced. Not too strong, but enough to notice. Very good. Going to make this a staple brew in my collection.

M- Great. Crisp, smoky, hot and spicy.

D- Moderate to moderately high. Couldn't drink more than 2 or 3, but goes down so easily paired with some spicy food. This beer is amazing with some Mexican or spicy Italian cuisine. A must-try.I put this beer as a spin-off of the great flavors found in Schlenkerla's Marzen... something about smoky beers just does it for me. (943 characters)

Appearance is pretty bland, although with it being a spring release and it being near fall, what do you expect.
Smell and Taste were very good. At first the beer just smelled and tasted of dry malt, but as some warming occured a nice smell and taste of jalapeno broke through.
I felt like I was eating some medium wings. (367 characters)

T: malty start then a hoppy finish and a spicy bit that does not come on till after you swallow.

M: average feel for a amber ale.

D: I cracked it open with a grilled pork chop and let me say I had a dance in my mouth this one was incredible with my food. It is a five all the way. but I had a hard time finishing this one on its own after my food was gone and since this is a beer rating it is going to be lower. my advice is enjoy this with a meal, it's awesome (567 characters)

Had a couple years ago on a recommendation and liked it, but first review.A - a clear bronze amber with two fingers of off white head that retained very well and left nice random lacing up the glass as it did soS - Smokey! A very enticing mix of smoke and chili spice (hence chipotle i guess), along with rich roasty malty undertones and light grassy notesT - the strong smoke and sweetness of the chili pepper hits you first, along with the roasty malts, then the chili spice and heat starts to creep in much like when you eat a chili pepper infused dish, then smoke and the heat linger nicelyM - medium carbonation gives way to a very rich mix of smoke and malt, with the spice tingling the tongue and the deep heat lingering at the back of the throatD - i love beer and chipotle, and this combination is fantastic, the flavours are exactly what I want, the feel is a great balance of smooth richness and tingly heat, very drinkable although the heat may really start to build after a few, overall a fantastic idea with a better result (1,042 characters)

Appearance: Richly golden in colour with a thick pasty white lace that retains very well.

Smell: Some fruitiness, malt sweetness and a touch of smoked tangy pepper.

Taste: Very smooth with a mild crispness, rich and medium bodied. A thin layer of malt is first then a mild smoke kicks in as well as a mellow tangy hot pepper that has a faint touch of heat to it, perhaps some of the tangy flavour is from the cascade hops. Soon after is an underlying malt (bready) and a bit of hop flavour ... yet the more you drink the more you feel the heat, though it does not get hot or over bearing. Very clean in the finish with a fading heat.

Notes: Seriously one of the best spiced/herbal ales we have ever had ... some complex yet very well balanced and oh so drinkable all at the same time. A generous addition of smoked chipotle peppers give this brew the heat and smoke. (930 characters)

Slight peppery taste, medium carbonation. Honey colored. Very light lacing around the glass. Pleasure to drink. I wish I had another! Pepper taste lingers for a little bit but is never overpowering. One of my favorites from Rogue and one of the few that I don't look for hops flavor. (297 characters)